Stork Club oh this is Awkward
by tpom7437
Summary: What if Peggy married Howard after Steve disappeared? That would cause some problems between Tony and Steve in the future.
1. Prologue

_A week next Saturday at the Stork Club_. Peggy thought this through over. It had been a week and four years, and Peggy came once again to the Stork Club. Steve was late. Peggy glanced at the door, expecting, hoping, that he had some how been able to survive. They still hadn't found the plane. He could still be alive!

Peggy glanced at the door again, when Howard walked right through it. Peggy looked away quickly, feeling the color rush into her cheeks. She looked straight ahead, hoping Howard would not notice her. She had come here often enough in the past years, and no one else knew how she still pined for Steve. A tear began to form as she looked down.

"Peggy," Howard said, Peggy looked up and saw that Howard had sat down in the empty chair across from her. "Peggy…" Howard said, gently taking her hand. He looked tired and drawn. The war and the search for Steve had taken its tole.

"…still no sign of…" he stopped himself. "How are you holding up?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Peggy said beginning to cry. Howard scooted his chair closer and placed his arm around her. She buried her head in his chest, crying.

"Peggy…don't you think…Steve would have wanted you to move on? Isn't it…time to let go?"

Peggy sat up, composed herself and looked at him, "I suppose he would." Peggy sniffed.

A waiter came over and Howard ordered food and drinks for them both. Two Hours later Peggy was laughing with Howard. Somehow he had worked his magic. For a good hour and a half, Peggy had forgotten about Steve. She had thought of him constantly for years now, that his absence from her mind was now strange.

"Peggy" Howard said with a laugh as the music started upa gian. He stood up and held out his hand to her, "Would you like to Dance?"

Steve suddenly came rushing back to her head. _The Right Partner_.

"I'd love to," Peggy said.


	2. Chapter 1

"Captain!" Agent Coleson hollered and shook Steve. Steve was in the library, asleep surrounded by books.

"Captain Rogers! Director Fury wants to see you." Steve woke up, he looked around. He had been pouring over the history of America since he left the war. He closed a big book on World War II on a picture of Peggy the first woman agent. He did not, however see the writing beneath it saying, "Agent Peggy Carter, married well known millionaire Howard Stark."

"Right Right!" Steve said, "Can I leave these here?"

"Sure," Coleson said, "Just come on."

Steve followed Coleson down a corridor into a large room. He looked around and saw tons of people working on computers.

"Captain!" Director Fury called over, "Adjusting to 2012?"

"Why am I here Sir?"

"I though I should introduce you to your new team. This is Agent Romanov." A woman stepped forward, wearing a tight navy blue outfit with a gun at her hip alongside a dozen other gagets.

"Captain Rogers" Romanov said with a nod. Steve was struck by how much she looked like Peggy.

"Agent Romanov," Steve said, when someone else came forward.

"Hey, listen: don't drink the coffee it is terrible!" Director Fury rolled his eye and said: "This is Tony Stark."

"You do mean this is Iron Man right? I thought we were suppose to have code names in here." Tony said.

"Stark?" Steve said while holding out his hand. "Are you related to Howard Stark?" Tony shook his hand.

"Uh, yeah. He was my father."

"Wow…umm…this is weird. Your father was one of my friends."

"Yeah, this whole from the past, thing, is really weird."

"So Howard got married huh? I guess the war calmed him down a bit."

"Yeah, he married Peggy Carter." Tony started fiddling with a paper clip holder on someone's desk. He missed the expression on Steve's face in response to this piece of news. All of his muscles stiffened, he inhaled, agitated, and sat down.

"Howard married Peggy?" Steve asked. "Howard MARRIED Peggy?" Steve asked again.

"Umm, yes he did, and I am their son." Steve glared at Tony. He backed up a bit. "What? So you knew my dad and my mom too apparently. What do I have to do with that? Its not like I knew him or anything like that!" Tony backed behind Director Fury. Steve continued to glare at Tony. Tony suddenly represented to him the marriage of someone he would give his life for, to someone else.

"Is there a problem?" Fury asked.

"No, sir." Steve mumbled, but still glared.

"Captain this is Thor." A man with long blond hair, wearing armor and a red cape, and holding a hammer.

"I'm sorry, did you say Thor? As in the Nordic god?"

"Yes. I bear the name and the legend." Thor said, still standing with his arms crossed, looking intimidating.

"Steve" Steve said and held out his hand. Thor shook it awkwardly. He was still not used to handshakes. He began to squeeze and furiously begin shaking Steve's hand.

"Wow, that's quite a grip you got there." Steve said removing his hand from Thor's sight.

"Is it not the point of a handshake to prove your strength to someone you meet?" Thor asked.

"Umm, no. Its just a kind gesture of meeting."

"Well then let me shake again." Thor said reaching out his hand.

"No, its quite alright." Steve said, "Really."

"And this is agent…" Fury began, then saw Tony giving him an eyebrow, "Hawk eye. And over there is Dr. Banner. Or the Hulk." A man dressed in dark pants and a t-shirt, walked forward.

"Hey" Steve said to them both.

"Now that the pleasantries are over, lets get to work," Fury said, "we have designed a schedule to keep you all fit to fight and have arranged sparring between each of you. You will be called to fight once we need to take a defensive stand against any threat."

They all left the room, for some reason, Tony followed Steve back to the library.


	3. Chapter 2

"What?" Steve said as he started fiddling with the books.

"What do you mean 'What?' You obviously have a problem with me, and I don't know why, and if I have to fight next to you with explosives in my hand and yours, I really don't want you having an issue with me."

Steve glared at him, he had Peggy's eyes, Howard's nose. Yes he was obviously their son. Steve punched the book on the table next to him knocking the table into pieces and all the books on it went flying. "Alright Tony, your dad was a close friend and right after I 'die' and fall off that timeline, he makes a move on my girl." Steve was menacingly stepping forward.

"What? So my dad got your girl! You were dead to them! I mean…Do you blame her for moving on. I loved my mother. And the fact that you had a crush on her or something, is really _really _creepy!"

"And you aren't creepy to me? You are her son! Your like 50 years old!"

"36!"

"Yeah, well I left Peggy when she was 24! Now I find out that I was frozen through time, I've lost Peggy, and Howard married her!"

"Well, I'm not Howard. I barely even liked my father!"

"Even so, you represent someone that I cared very deeply for, marrying my friend!"

"Guilt, but can't you and I be able to talk without you glaring and flying off the handle, and destroying tables?"

"I don't know if that's possible."

"Fine! But can you stop the glaring? Its really freaking me out!" Steve continued glaring.

"I freak you out? You are the son of Howard and Peggy! That freaks me out! And why are you even here? What do you bring to the table?"

Tony started laughing. "What do I bring to the table? I _am_ the table! I am Iron Man."

"What does that mean?"

"Oh I forgot…you haven't sent he news lately. I created a suit that allows me to fly, and blow stuff up." It was Steve's turn to laugh.

"That's all you got? A machine? Ha! I have extreme muscles, ad I heal quickly, what happens if your 'Iron Man' breaks down?"

"Ha! It won't break down, not unless I die! My heart powers it because my heart is an arc reactor supported by an element, discovered by Howard."

"That sounds so lame! I mean come one! You're a machine that dies if its not charged!"

"Well at least I don't dress up in tights and wave a fancy shield around and throw it around and hope it hits the bad guys. I got some muscles too you know!"

"Ha! But too scared to use them! You hide behind a machine!"

"You hide behind a shield!"

"You only have bombs!"

"You only have guns!"

"You can't win a real fight!"

"You can't fly!"

"Your hair's messed up!"

"Your face is messed up!"

"Oh you want to go there?"

"Yeah I do! Let's take this outside punk."

"Alright let's go! Don't get lost!"

"Coleson!" Tony yelled.

"What do you want?" Coleson asked, he appeared very quickly.

"I want you to unlock the work out room. I believe you have your first sparing fight!"

"…ok…"

About 15 minutes later that small compound was abuzz with the news of this match.


	4. Chapter 3

In the gym Tony and Steve were getting geared up for a boxing match. Thor had been nominated referee mainly because he didn't know the rules and could stop them both in a glare. The betting was mostly in favor of Steve, but it was fairly even among the agents. Many of the minor agents came to watch, and somehow the soda machine was shot open.

Agent Romanov was escorting Thor to the gym. Romanov was one of the few people that was not put off by Thor's arrogant manner. If she could handle Tony for a few months, she could handle Thor.

"May I ask you something Lady Natasha?" Thor asked as they walked through the complex.

"What?" Romanov said. The obvious difference between Tony and Thor was that Thor had manners and was polite.

"Tell me, what is 'boxing'?"

"It's a sport here on Earth. Mainly what happens is, two people get into a ring and punch each other until one of them stays on the floor for more than 10 seconds."

"A sport involving punching…" Thor said pondering this information. _What a strange world, such violence is not permitted in Asgard, but here it seems encouraged._ "What must I know in order to 'referee'?"

"Just keep them from killing each other, and don't let them bite or cheat. Just decide to stop it if you think it is not fair."

"I am not accustomed to only watching a fight."

"Yeah, well this world finds entertainment by putting people through trials and watching them suffer." She suddenly had a flashback to her past in Russia, but shook it off quickly. "You'll be fine."

"You are strong and brave Lady Natasha. Thank you for your assistance."

"No problem."

They made their way to the gym and encountered a huge crowd of agents. All of them in suits, and all with loaded guns, it was a truly a terrifying yet funny sight. Thor shoved his way forward, Romanov following behind in the path he made. Thor came to the ring and entered.

Tony was at the right end of the ring, Steve at the other. Thor stood in the middle, and then he saw something shiny and got distracted. _What is the strange metallic object that rings when I touch it?_ He wondered as he fiddled with the bell. _What is it with these midgardians and their strange ways?_ He then realized all the agents were yelling at him to start the fight.

"QUIET!" Thor bellowed, and the room fell into an awkward silence. "Now, Tony, son of Howard, and Steven of America, step forward. Have a noble battle! Do not completely kill each other or I shall be forced to intervene. Fight bravely!" Thor said, and looked to Romanov who gave him a smile and nod.

Tony hopped around Steve, and Steve took a defensive pose and waited for Tony to wear himself. Coleson told him he gets excited at the beginning, and then wears out toward the end, (Coleson had also bet $200 on Steve).

"Come on! Come on! Give me a shot! You painted ballet dancer!" Tony called out goading Steve on.

"Talk, talk, no punches yet huh?" Steve said in response. Tony began to throw light punches, watching how Steve defended, trying to find a way to break through. This continued on for about a minute, and Tony had now memorized Steve's defensive moves. _Yes, it is a wonderful thing to be a genius in fights_. Tony thought.

Tony quickly threw a fake punch toward Steve's right, Steve went for it, but Tony grabbed his arm, spun and elbowed him behind the head. Steve barely flinched, but smoothly grabbed Tony by his back, flipped him around and kneed him in the chest, causing him to double over.

"Alright, that was a cheap shot." Tony said. "Thor, come on buddy, don't you think that was dirty?"

"There was nothing wrong with the attack, Warrior Stark, you were not sufficiently defending yourself."

"Wow, a man looks for help…" Tony said then looked at Steve, "…not like I need it."

The fighting continued, this time Steve was more aggressive. At every offensive attack Tony offered, Steve defended and then found a hole and punched it. Yet Tony held his ground fairly well too, he quickly learned Steve's pattern and blocked his strikes fairly easily. It was looking like a boring fight to the agents, both men being cautious, not wanted to attack too aggressively, and both being able to defend themselves well. Some agents began to boo, and scream at them. Thor looked at them startled by their sudden change in attitude.

About forty five minutes later, both men were still standing but the agents were beginning to tire and started sitting down. However in that time, both men had at least one patch of blood on them and bruises everywhere. Tony had somehow dislocated his shoulder, and Steve's ankle was twisted in the most unnatural way. Both were unwilling to give up, and both were too tired and worn out to continue.

"You still going?" Tony said, panting. "Are you seriously this mad about Peggy moving on?" As if in reply Steve's face flushed with color and he began to attack Tony, hitting him with what little strength he had left. Steve seemed to forget all else except his frustration, and Howard's betrayal. He vaguely heard Thor shouting to "Hold" and all the other agents shouting encouragement.

Thor saw Steve lose control of himself, he suddenly wondered if that is what he looked like in his fits of rage. He knew Steve wouldn't listen to his words, and so promptly came in between Steve and Tony and threw a mighty punch knocking the already exhausted Steve out. Tony struggled quickly to his feet saying, "I'm fine, totally fine!" But he looked far from it.

"What the hell is going on?" Director Fury shouted, and all the agents hushed, and some stood next to each other to hide the broken soda machine. "Get a hold of yourselves! Someone get Tony and Steve to a doctor, move!" Fury looked at the two men, what had driven them to this? He wondered. But it didn't matter, they both needed to be moved to the hospital or they weren't going to be help to anybody.


	5. Chapter 4

The doctor looked over Steve with his glasses sitting at the tip of his nose. He looked at the monitor. _Everything normal, well as normal as it can be for Captain America! Which is about double the normal._ He thought, watching the heart beat. Steve was suffering from a sprained ankle that was quickly healing, a nasty head injury, and other little cuts and bruises._ Gotta hand it to that Thor fellow, he sure can beat almost anything._

Consciousness came, unwanted, to Steve, he looked painfully around the room and saw the doctor peering at him through those cold glasses.

"Ah, glad you are awake!" The Dcotor said, looking down at a clipboard that had papers with graphs, pictures, and hand written charts all over it, "Not surprised though, you're stronger than an ox." He chuckled, and then started to clean his glasses as he left the room.

Steve sat back, wondering what had happened, and the memories of it came flooding back. Steve felt an inexplicable feeling of guilt. _I don't like bullies, I don't care where they're from. _He remembered a much smaller version of himself saying. _What were you thinking Steve? You became something you despise. You became a bully. You lost control and decided to beat up Tony, whose only crime was that he was the son of Howard and Peggy. _

_ Peggy. _

He thought of her face, how lovely and elegant she was. All his memories of her came flooding back to him. Every conversation they ever had, every moment they had shared. _You were meant for more than this you know. _He was meant for more. He wasn't meant to be a bully, and beat up her son. Peggy is probably ashamed of him, wherever she is. _…your friend, Did you respect him? Then allow him the dignity of his choice, he damn well must have thought you were worth it._

Was he worth it? If he can't control simple frustration, than he definitely wasn't. _Peggy's choice. _She choose to marry Howard. She wanted to be a wife and mother. Steve could not give her that, so why should he begrudge her when she sought it elsewhere?

Steve had a sudden moment of clarity, and the truth of what he had done made the guilt well up inside him. _Poor Tony_. He thought, and then he got up and limped his way to the hallway. He saw a nurse walking by, "Excuse me, can you tell me where Tony Stark is?"

"Right across the hall, in room 24." She said and then hurried by. Steve took a breath, and limped his way across the hall into another hospital room, Tony was sitting up, the TV on, and he was talking to someone.

"Jarvis come on! I'm asking something simple here!"

"I'm sorry sir, but I cannot synthesize a cheeseburger for you." A voice said, and Steve looked around the room. "Sir, Steve Rogers is approaching."

"Mute" Tony said, then looked toward the door, "If you are coming to finish the job, I warn you I installed automated defense system into the ceiling so watch it!" Steve then noticed the mechanical devices in the ceiling.

"I have not come to hurt you, Tony Stark. I have come to apologize for my behavior."

"Huh." Tony said and looked at him. "Well lets see what your behavior has been shall we. You glare at me, I try to straighten stuff out, and you get enraged about my heritage. You tell me I add nothing to the table. And there was another thing, oh what was it…oh yeah! You beat me into the ground and gave me a dislocated shoulder. Oh sure, I'll forgive you for your behavior!" Tony said in his sarcastic tone.

"I realize what I had done was unacceptable, but try to understand. I greatly loved Peggy, she is the only woman I felt I knew, and who knew me. I got enraged with jealousy when I heard she married Howard. And you suddenly represented Howard in my brain. I also had been so frustrated over going forward in time and losing everybody I had ever loved, that upon your invitation to fight I lost control. And I really am sorry."

"Ah-huh. Jarvis!"

"Here sir!" The voice said and Steve spun around, almost falling in the attempt, greatly confused.

"You been listening?"

"Indeed I have sir."

"What do you think I should tell Mr. Rogers here Jarvis?"

"I don't know sir, you usually handle these situations so well without me." Steve was turning every which way looking for the source of the voice. Tony seemed totally calm and bemused by Steve's reaction to Jarvis.

"Do I Jarvis?" Tony asked.

"Indeed sir."

"Alright Steve," Tony said, containing a laugh at how he was turning every which way to try and find where Jarvis is. "I'll call it fine, but only if you do two things for me. One: Get me a cheeseburger. Two: If there is ever, in the obscure possibility, that I need someone to back me up in future battles…would you come and…help me?" Tony said, squeezing the word "help" out as if it hurt to speak it.

"You got it." Steve replied, with a smile.

"Alright then, so that Cheeseburger, everything on it, preferable from burger king."

"What is a burger king?"

"Just Never mind!"

"Sir" Jarvis said again, this time Steve fell over from his hurt ankle from looking around, "Miss Potts is approaching."

"Tony are you alright?" She said hurrying in, "Oh my God, what happened to you."

"Pepper, I'm totally fine," Tony said, he tried to reach out for her hand but his shoulder made him inhale sharply in pain.

"Oh my God, oh my God, Tony!" Pepper said beginning to pace in panic.

"Pepper calm down, I'm fine, I got Jarvis, and the doctors have everything under control."

"Tony, how did this happen to you?"

"Pepper, I'm fine, Fury made me box with Steve Rogers."

"And did he do this to you?"

"…no…" Tony said looking around.

"Excuse me, good afternoon, I'm Steve Rogers." Steve said cutting into this conversation.

"Oh my God, did you beat him up? You did didn't you! You son of a –"

"Pepper!" Tony called out, "Pepper, calm down, Steve is my friend, things were getting a little out of hand and…Coulson decided to join in the fight and then soon all the agents joined in and things got really out of hand."

"Oh, well then why are only you two the only ones in the hospital?"

"Miss Potts, " Jarvis began, "Tony is-"

"Mute." Tony said, "Pepper, I'm fine, Steve and I are…friends."

"Uh, yeah, Tony has been a great help to me, adjusting to being sent through time, and all." Steve said, sounding a little flustered. "Well Tony, I hope you get better, and I should uh, I should get back to my room."

"Alright buddy take it easy."

"I will Tony." Steve said, and then limped back into his room, hearing Pepper continue to freak out. He laid on his bed and he inhaled slowly and closed his eyes, feeling as though he had found his first friend of the 21st century.


End file.
